The present invention relates to a recording device for ejecting an ink particle from an ejecting outlet of a head.
A conventional recording device includes a head having an array of ejecting outlets aligned laterally and an ejecting sensor for detecting that an ink particle is ejected downwardly from the outlets of the head. The ejecting sensor detects a thermal energy radiated from the flying ink particles.
The conventional recording device hardly detects accurately the presence and absence of the ink particles with an infrared sensor. Since flying very fast, the ink particles ejected from the ejecting outlets passes across a sensing field of the infrared sensor for a short time, thus providing the sensor with a small thermal energy. Continuously ejecting the ink particles increases a consumption of ink.
A recording device capable of detecting accurately the presence and absence of an ink particle is provided, in which an infrared sensor receives a much thermal energy from the ink particle.
The recording device has a sensing field of the infrared sensor not directed toward a flying ink particle but directed toward a landing ink particle. The steady ink particle enables the infrared sensor to receive an increasing thermal energy, so that the sensor may detects accurately the presence and absence of the particle.